Fans confirm long-lost ROSE-MARIE filming site at 7,000 ft elevation above Lake Tahoe, linked to Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A team of dedicated film enthusiasts has verified the precise mountain location where the iconic "Indian Love Call" duet from the 1936 MGM musical ROSE-MARIE was filmed. The scene, performed by actors Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, was believed lost to history until a group led by researcher Leslie Szurek identified the site atop Alpine Meadows near Lake Tahoe at an elevation of 7,000 feet.

In the fall of 1935, the MGM studio transported MacDonald, Eddy, and a production team—led by director Woody Van Dyke II—into the Tahoe wilderness to capture key scenes for ROSE-MARIE. With no accessible roads at the time, crew members transported film equipment on horseback up the steep mountainside. Filming took place near a distinctive tree and rock formation, both of which have now been confirmed still intact.

Szurek's group hiked to the high-altitude site one year ago after studying production records and cross-referencing visual cues from the film. Lighting equipment was left behind in 1935 but is no longer present. The discovery confirms long-standing speculation from local residents and classic film historians about the precise location of this cinematic moment.

Rose-Marie features a plot in which Eddy portrays a Mountie tasked with apprehending the criminal brother of MacDonald's character, an opera singer. Their duet, "Indian Love Call," became a cultural milestone and remains strongly associated with their legacy as an on-screen duo

Beyond their film careers, MacDonald and Eddy shared a romantic relationship that faced significant studio resistance. According to biographical research, including that of author Sharon Rich, the couple became engaged during the filming but encountered pressure from studio head Louis B. Mayer, who forbade the union and its implications for the studio's public image.

This chapter in Hollywood history is now the focus of an upcoming biographical film, SWEETHEARTS, based on Rich's biography. Directed by BAFTA winner Jason Connery (TOMMY'S HONOUR), the film is being produced by Amanda Kiely (Tall Brit Productions) alongside Niels Juul (No Fat Ego). The script is co-written by Oscar nominated and BAFTA winner Michael Radford (IL POSTINO, 1984, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE).

"Theirs was one of the most tragic love affairs in Hollywood history but has never been told onscreen," says Kiely. "It was covered up and publicly denied for decades, even though most everyone in the industry knew they remained lovers. It's timely now because it not only deals with the discrimination against women producers at that time but also the personal issues MacDonald faced. ROSE-MARIE (released in 1936) a huge hit, and she packaged her next film, SAN FRANCISCO. She found the project, had the script written, chose her favorite director, and hand-picked her costars, Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. Yet she received no producing credit, even though SAN FRANCISCO was internationally the highest grossing movie of 1936 and the most profitable. That year she starred in two of Hollywood's top 10 movies but still had no control over her private life."

MacDonald and Eddy starred in eight films together and were instrumental in establishing the popularity of MGM musicals. Their contributions are still celebrated by fans nearly a century later.

Media Contact

Amanda Kiely, Tall Brit Productions, 1 323-855-8641, Amanda@tallbritproductions.com, sweetheartsfilm.com

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SOURCE Tall Brit Productions